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Thursday, 19 June 2014

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue

No no I'm not talking about a wedding.

Before I get started on the Somethings I have a little confession. Nothing bad just that it is so busy at work at the moment and we seem to have a constant stream of visitors to The Willows. I am so behind with my blog reading and commenting but I promise I will catch up soon.
So now that's out of the way lets get to my Somethings.

My something old is my film of the month

This is a story we all know well I'm sure of a young Jewish girl Anne Frank who goes into hiding in June 1942 with her family and other members of the Jewish community in Amsterdam.
Aged thirteen when she went into hiding, Anne kept a diary in which she confided her innermost thoughts and feelings, movingly revealing how the people living under these extraordinary conditions coped with the daily threat of discovery and death.

With help they manage to stay hidden for 2 years until they are discovered in August 1944. The story is told by Anne's father Otto who is the only survivor of his immediately family. Once it was Anne's death was confirmed he went on to carry out Anne's wish to have her diary published.

I read the book at school when I was about 13 the same age as Anne was when she went into hiding. It is on my list of books to revisit later in the year.

My second old is my return to school read which this month is

Cider with Rosie written by Vintage (Laurie) Lee

A wonderfully vivid memoir of childhood growing up in the Cotswolds village in a time before electricity or cars a very charming and entertaining read.. This was one that my older sister did for her A Levels.

& yes I have a third old which is Solomon Northup's memoir of his life as 'Twelve Years A Slave'

I downloaded the original book to my Kindle for 40p

In 1841, the educated musician Solomon Northup, a free man living in New York who is cruelly deceived by the promise of a job in Washington, is drugged, kidnapped, and sold into slavery. Once Solomon arrives in New Orleans, he is given a slave name and soon realizes that any mention of his rights as a free man is sure to bring cruel punishment or death. Denied his freedom and ripped away from his family, he spends twelve emotionally and physically grueling years on a Louisiana cotton plantation enduring the hardships and brutalities of life as a slave. When Solomon eventually finds a sympathizing friend, a daring rescue is attempted that could either end in Solomon's death or restore his freedom and reunite him with his family.

Solomon Northup was a renowned fiddle-player who was kidnapped and enslaved for twelve years before he was rescued by an official agent from the state of New York.

Having read this one I can see why Steve McQueen made it into a film. I think the film will bring the story to life so will have to pick up the DVD soon.

My Something Borrowed - is the latest novel 'The Storyteller' by Jodi Picoult borrowed from my book swap buddy in the office.

For seventy years, Josef Weber has been hiding in plain sight.

He is a pillar of the local community.

He is also a murderer.

When Josef decides to confess, it is to Sage Singer, a young women, who trusts him as her friend.

What she hears shatters everything she thought she knew and believed.

As Sage uncovers the truth from the darkest horrors of war she must follow a twisting trail between terror and mercy, betrayal and forgiveness, love - and revenge.

Absolutely brilliant book one that I couldn't put down until I had finished it.

My Something New - was the second novel by Susan Elliot Wright - 'The Secrets We Left Behind'

She has built a good life; a husband who adores her, a daughter she is fiercely proud of, a home with warmth and love at its heart. But things were not always so good, and the truth is that she has done things she can never admit.

Then one evening a phone call comes out of the blue. It is a voice from long ago, from a past that she has tried so hard to hide. Scott knows who she really is and what she has done. Now he is dying and he gives her an ultimatum: either she tells the truth or her will.

And so we are taken back to that long hot summer of 1976 to a house by the sea, where her story begins and where the truth will be revealed.

Having completed by bookshelf challenge I felt I deserved a little treat. Yet another one completed in record time as even the book swap buddy has finished this one now.

&

My Something Blue is - The Girls In Blue' by Lilly Baxter

When her home is destroyed in a bombing raid over London, Miranda Beddoes is forced to take refuge with her grandparents down on the Dorset coat. With both her parents doing their duty for king and country, Miranda longs to do the same. She joins the WAAF and is soon working hard to help win the war. Despite her determination to dedicate herself to her work, Miranda falls for charismatic fighter Gil Maddern - a man known for his reckless and passion for flying. As the battle rages in the skies above them and she learns that Gil's plane has been hit, it is only the friendship of her fellow girls in blue that keeps Miranda going as she waits for news.

This was essentially a love story with a few twists and turns along the way. I really enjoyed this one, just goes to prove I'm still an old romantic at heart and even better this is another one from my yet to be read bookshelf

and of course today is also the first of my anniversaries.

I have been part of the health service for 25 years today so of course we celebrated in the office with a nice cup of tea and a slice of very chocolaty cake.

I even managed to save two pieces to have with D when I got home,
and yes that is cream on top and a glass of wine so the diets out the window again still there's always tomorrow.

So that just leaves me to remind you about my anniversary giveaways

if you haven't already entered my anniversary giveaways yet then pop over

I was just looking for some books to download, thank you! I also wanted to revisit Anne's diary as it's a long time since I last read it, a truly remarkable read. I shall have to try and watch the film at some point too.

Awwww, little cuties. Eleanor only mentioned last night how she'd like to visit Anne Frank's house, she'd been to see The Fault In Our Stars and it features in it. It's somewhere I'd love to see too. I read the book in school and read it again when Daniel was reading it at school and I love the film too. Cider With Rosie is a book on my 'to read' list, I'm still looking out for the book as it's one I think I'd enjoy. It sounds like you've read a good selection, plenty to keep you interested there.